BAKU-(MaraviPost)-Malawi’s Under-15 national football men team, the Junior Flames, have been eliminated from the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) Under-15 World Cup and Festival 2026 after suffering a 7-2 defeat to Luxembourg in the Round of 16 on Wednesday in Baku, Azerbaijan.
According to the Football Association of Malawi (FAM)’s official Facebook page, Luxembourg led 3-2 at half-time before scoring four more goals in the second half to secure a convincing victory.
The defeat brings Malawi’s campaign to an end after seven matches in the tournament, during which the young side recorded four wins and three losses.
The Junior Flames registered victories over Suriname, Hungary, Chinese Taipei and Oman, demonstrating their potential against international opposition.
However, their journey ended with defeats against Algeria, Argentina and Luxembourg.
Malawi entered Wednesday’s encounter on the back of a 2-0 victory over Hungary, while Luxembourg had also enjoyed a strong result, beating Liberia 8-2 before their Round of 16 meeting.
Despite the disappointing exit, the tournament provided Malawi’s young players with valuable international experience and an opportunity to test themselves against teams from different parts of the world.
In his reaction, Football Association of Malawi president Fleetwood Haiya expressed sympathy with the Junior Flames following their defeat.
Haiya said the tournament was an important platform for young players to learn, gain international exposure and develop their skills against some of the world’s promising young talents.
He encouraged the players to remain confident, describing every match as a learning opportunity and urging them to take lessons from the defeat as they prepare for future challenges.
Haiya also reaffirmed FAM’s pride in the team and its belief in the players’ potential, despite their elimination from the competition.
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